Tobaccos McClelland - Town Topic (Premium Aromatic)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2013-09-17		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Okay, first a bit about me so you know where I'm coming from. I recently began smoking a pipe again after about 25 years away from it (spawned by the inheritance of my Dad's pipe collection). First task: Rediscover what kind of tobacco I like. A friend is partial to McClelland tobaccos, so that's where I started. In the past few weeks, I've tried the following McClelland leaf: Frog Morton's Cellar, Holiday Spirit, and Deep Hollow. In addition, I've tried Orlik Golden Sliced, and a few identity- unknown tobacco shop blends known simply as "Cavendish Caramel," and "Oxford." I've seen Town Topic described as an aromatic for those who don't like aromatics. That may be fair. It's an aromatic, but I don't judge it to be over the top. It smokes very cool and pleasant. The maple note is not overwhelming, so I wouldn't say "the room smelled like pancakes" or anything like that. But it is noticeable, and very pleasant. My son, who's been my room-note observer, says this is the most pleasing aroma of all that he's smelled. It's a very comforting, relaxing smoke. From what I've tried, anything will give you tongue bite if you smoke it too fast. That said, you'd have to work to get tongue bite with Town Topic. For the record, Town Topic is my favorite, followed by McClelland's Deep Hollow. After Town Topic, I'll be trying some of McClelland's other Premium Aromatics as well. In the end, I may not smoke this all the time, but at present, I'll probably smoke this more than anything else. It's pure bliss!

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2010-08-13		Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

This one will please those pipers who prefer a less pronounced artificial flavor in their aromatic smokes. This blend was well put together by a company that knows how to blend tobaccos. The Maple casing is delicate and the leaf has been processed to the point where there will be no bite or extreme heat. The tin smell and room note at the match are quite wonderful.

6 people found this review helpful.

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	Young Piper (305)	2016-09-19		Very Mild	Strong	Mild	Very Pleasant

Ah this is a tough one to review. I am not an expert on anything but as I have smoked just about every maple tobacco available I guess I can be considered a maple pipe tobacco expert... It's fall and that means maple tobacco time, picked up a tin dated 2015 so that's good (one never wants an old aromatic as they lose their potency). The topping is not as good as Autumn Evening, I suspect Aunt Jemimah vs Real Maple syrup in AE but you cannot compare the tobacco since AE is red Virginia Cavendish and TT is Black Cavendish with some yellow Virginia. Sweet, not goopy, smells wonderful, no nicotine and will not bite. Blend half Granger with half TT for a delightful maple Burley & Black blend!

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	1979 (62)	2017-08-05		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

McClelland's - Town Topic

I'm not sure what makes this "premium".  Perhaps its the price tag.  I'm inclined to describe it as closer to "generic" than "premium".  Its black cavendish with some golden mixed in.  Delicate is a good way to describe the maple flavoring (kind of a chocolatey maple) because its not very intense, so there's that if you dont care for powerfully flavored aromatics.  I feel there's some level of humectant (as to be expected) but the blend smokes surprisingly dry in regard to how moist it appears.  Didnt make the pipe gurgle, no goop.  So that's a plus also.  I guess I was hoping for a bit more than what this is, for what this tin costed.  This one seems comparable in quality to Sutliff's Maple Street, which to me is a tastier can of maple at a better price point.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2013-04-16		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

Town Topic is a "full on" premium aromatic tobacco. The tin description pretty much nails the blend. It is definitely a slow smoker. Take your time and enjoy the delightfully fragrant Maple room note of this aromatic blend of rich burley's and processed Cavendish tobacco's. Don't huff and puff it too hard or race to get through it. It is easy on the palate and tongue. The room note is reminiscent of old fashioned pipe tobacco, but not at all overpowering. The tin note is also quite appealing. If you enjoy aro's, this is one to try. It is now in my aromatic's rotation. I highly recommend this one for you Maple lovers.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ecce_ego (24)	2017-04-01		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

I moved to Concord, New Hampshire last year and was pleased to find a cigar shop that had a few pipe accessories and tobaccos. Your standard stuff; some house blends, most with heavy Cavendish, and a few cheap tins. But, sitting on a low shelf, absolutely covered in dust, I found a tin of Town Topic. I wasn't surprised in reading that it was a Maple - it's New England, after all, and Maple can be found to flavor just about anything (maple pecan ice cream in a few months!). So I bought it, and did enjoy it.

The smell in tin is great, as is the room note. My wife approves. The taste is a bit more relaxed, though the maple is definitely there, along with a smooth bit of Cavendish, but not too much. I only like Cavendish in small doses for a bit of sweet taste and coolness. It does burble in the bowl a bit if one smokes too quickly. All in all a solid aromatic, good especially for cooler weather.

Age When Smoked: 4 years

Purchased From: Castro's Cigar Shop

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2013-04-14		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I'm not usually into aromatic blends, after having a somewhat rough introduction to them through Borkum Riff Cherry Liqueur and Captain Black White. I bought this tin because of the room note and in order to have something to smoke in the morning without getting tired of it, but was very surprised to find that the aroma/tobacco ratio was just the way I wanted it to be! Great job, McClelland. The tin aroma is overpowering, so much that when I first opened it in my office my friends smelled it 10 feet from where I was. I wouldn't describe it as maple syrup, but more as cappuccino. My fears of a heavy-laden maple flavor were soon dispelled when I took my first whiff. I would recommend this as an aromatic blend for non-aros.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-08-06		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This is great if you like smoking steam. The aroma in the can is mouth-watering rich and sets up expectations that the actual smoke comes nowhere near delivering. It burns remarkably well for a slightly moist aromatic and does not bite. But that's about the best that can be said of it other than its room aroma. It's not just that it lacks tobacco taste--it lacks any taste whatsoever. Even the casing somehow vanishes into thin air, where I suppose others can enjoy it. They will be the only ones to get anything out of it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-05-06		Very Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

This is a so-so tasting aromatic in the typical American fashion of mostly cavendish-processed burley. The tin says "delicately flavored" and that is certainly true. I did get a faint taste of the advertised maple, with a much more pronounced room aroma. I dried this out for 15 mins prior to smoking and it performed better this way than fresh from the tin. I did not find this to be an overly gooey product, although it felt that way on the fingers when I loaded the pipe. One of my subjective judgment factors for aromatics is how much moisture they produce. Thankfully, this one smoked fairly dry.

I don't find this one to be the equal of McClellands Tastemaster or Easy Street in their Premium Aromatics line. The tin aroma was more overblown in this one and the flavor was too faint. I was grateful that I didn't find the medicinal quality of flavor in TT as I did in their Holiday Spirit. This is not for me but if you enjoy a very sparingly flavored maple cavendish blend that stimulates those around you more than yourself, this would be one place to start.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2016-08-31		Very Mild	Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

Let there be no doubt as to how Town Topic is made. Gnomes that work for McClelland wake up early every morning and sneak into your kitchen. When you are not looking, they steal your fresh pancakes and maple syrup. Then when the sun is at its apex they incant the magical words that turn your breakfast into pipe tobacco. At least that is what I got when I smelled Town Topic the first time. There is really no guessing what the sticky topping is... just pure brown-sugar maple.

Like many aromatics, the flavor of the smoke is much more subdued than the unsmoked leaf, so don't think you will taste those pancakes you smelled earlier! You will however, get a nice mild easy smoker with a light caramel/sugar hint.

It was quite nice, and I have to say all the McClellands I've had so far really make the grade.

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Specifist (3)	2013-01-21		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Favorite aromatic so far. Natural-tasting maple casing with real vanilla subnotes, which makes all the difference as compared to artificial-tasting flavorings. In my opinion, the success of an aromatic depends on just the right flavor in just the right amount laid onto just the right complementary tobacco. McClelland got this one right.

1 person found this review helpful.

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	mnadz (69)	2012-09-29		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

I recommend this only compared to other aromatics. The maple flavor was very pleasant (fitting for me living in NH). My wife loved the room note which helps. I would put this above my other aromatics in CB Gold or White.

1 person found this review helpful.

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	SteelCowboy (685)	2012-01-21		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

I don't have a lot of experience with McClelland aromatics as this only the second one I have smoked. Town Topic is a solid, straight forward blend with no bite and best of all, no chemical taste. The maple flavor extends somewhat over to the sweet smoke. One of the things I really don't like about McClelland blends is the heavy dose of PG that is often used. I don't know if this blend actually has less of it, but I was able to dry it fairly quickly. As tinned maple blends go, you can't go wrong with TT. I personally prefer Vermont Maple Cavendish from Pipeworks & Wilke as it's made with pure VT maple syrup and is sold in bulk. Recommended

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-03-28		Very Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I'm not usually a fan of aromatics, but after reading the reviews on this site I decided to give Town Topic a try. I'm glad I did, as this particular blend will be a regular in my collection. As soon as you open the tin you're greeted with the distinct smell of maple syrup, the tobacco is moist but smokable out of the tin which is good because I was too anxious to let it dry for very long.

From the first light I was greeted with the subtle tastes of maple flavoring, the smoke was light but the weed burned cool and had a minimal level of relights. There was none of the characteristic aromatic tongue bite. That superb flavor lasted for the first two thirds of the bowl, unfortunately for the last bit of the smoke the baccy became very sweet, almost like flavored coffee syrup.

This is a perfect blend for a post-breakfast smoke with your morning coffee, or even a great after dinner dessert smoke. I am already looking forward to tomorrow morning so I can spark up another bowl of this wonderful blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2011-03-13		Mild	Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

This blend suits me better than C&D Autumn Evening. It smokes much cooler, and the maple flavor stays through til the end. It may smoke somewhat wet if smoked hard or not dried a bit.

The wife loves it, so that makes it even better. If you are looking for an all day aromatic that will please the crowd and your palate, this is the one.

4 out of 5 stars for Town Topic!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc'spipe (242)	2009-01-24		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

In my opinion, compared to McClelland's Tastemaster, Town Topic is an improvement. Didn't have any problem with moisture or packing. Much easier to keep lit than Tastemaster. No chemical taste to speak of. Not quite as sickeningly sweet, either. Room note is commented on favorably - my son walked in and said, "It smells like pancakes." However, I can not smell nor taste the maple flavoring. It was very evident upon opening the tin, along with a beautiful appearance, but there it stops. As with Tastemaster, if it wasn't written in the description, I wouldn't have guessed it was Maple.

Although there was ample sweetness present (sugary and not maple), there was also a slight bitterness that presented itself at mid bowl and remained throughout (granted that it was smoked fresh from the tin) and left me with mild agita, but never any moisture in the bowl. I smoked it in a medium-sized billiard Meer. No tongue bite, but for me, not much in the way of real tobacco flavor. If you want tobacco flavor as well as the taste of the aromatic casing, try Mac Baren's Vanilla Cream Loose Cut (see my review for it on this site).

All in all a somewhat pleasurable diversion from headier blends, but not a daily one for my tastes. It's too much like the typical aromatic. I'd rather have smoked the high class tobacco McClelland claims to have used for this one without the casing - I'm sure it would have been better. A notch above Tastemaster so I'll rate it 2.5 stars out of 3.

ADDENDUM to my original review on 1-23-09: I left the tin opened overnight. I smoked it today in another Meer, and also in a Ropp Cherrywood pipe. No bitterness but the agita was there again. Still not much in the way of tobacco taste, but I actually tasted the Maple which was quite pleasant and still didn't become sickeningly sweet. Although I still prefer Mac Baren's Vanilla Cream Loose Cut over this one because I can still taste the fine tobacco along with the vanilla, I'm changing my rating to "recommended" and giving it 3 out of 4 stars. Won't become an every day smoke for me, however.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth 69 (117)	2005-01-06		Mild to Medium	Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

What do they think they are doing? This is simply a one notch upscale in generic cavendish with a premium price attached. I expect a lot more from these people in the realm of aromatics than "Captain Black-like products." They are rooted in the taditions of English and Scottish tobacco houses, they should be developing aromatic products along the lines of the ones from the Gawith firms and the like when marketing and charging a premium price. For me on most occasions it is not about the price. A base of that awful green river black cavendish, which tastes like a sweet, burnt marshmellow in base flavor, with a much lesser amount of sweetend viginias that seem to be rough-cut. On top of that the added sweet flavoring that is barely detectable as maple. What can I say but...Blahhhh!

- Not recommended

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Andersson (9)	2016-05-10		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

​Sweet, smoked, heavy on aroma and tongue biting. Despite all flaws, sometimes it's delightful, but not for long. I can recommend it to only a true aromatics lovers.

Pipe Used: Dunhill County

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Theosprey247 (73)	2016-04-05		Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

When you open the tin your assaulted with a sublime maple scent. The tobacco is moist but lights well and stay lit. A very mild unassuming smoke. It won't bite even if you huff and puff. However, if you do that you'll miss out on the very subtle maple flavor. The room note is the best aspect of this blend. Reminds me of Sunday pancakes. If your looking for a mild smoke then this blend is for you.

Pipe Used: Briars

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fred T (67)	2015-01-01		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Very nice aromatic with a nice maple flavor. Mild aromatic with a nice mild smoke and room note. I'm giving it 3 stars, because I prefer chocolate or Vanilla aromatics over over maple ones. But, if you prefer maple, this is a good one. Mom will like the room note, too.

Pipe Used: Dunhill Shell Billiard.

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Tastemaster is chocolate. Town Topic is maple. Choose your flavor of dessert..

Nobody has rated this review yet.

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	Bdub (4)	2013-07-20		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

I would suggest, if you like aromatics, to try this tobacco. I found that I enjoy the vanilla flavor in aromatics more than the maple. This blend is maple but I found it pleasant and probably would've given it a higher rating if it were easier to keep lit and wasn't so goopy.

========UPDATE========

Since having this tobacco in the tin for a while, the goopy-ness went away almost completely and the lighting became easier as it aged.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	plexibass (5)	2013-05-26		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This was the first tobacco I ever smoked. I LOVE IT! I am not that into aromatics either. As I gained more pipes and tobaccos, I moved away from any aromatics....except this one. My advice, buy a 50g tin of this and mix it with about half as much LATAKIA [or whatever you feel you can handle] and let it sit for about 2 months. The resulting blend will be a hearty smokey BBQ type flavor that wont disappoint!

Good right out of the tin also. The only aromatic I still keep in my cellar!

Nobody has rated this review yet.

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	gunner525 (66)	2012-09-07		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

I bought a tin of this as I stopped in a local tobacconist in Las Vegas to get a few CAO cigars. It's a pretty good blend. The maple flavor comes out well and the Burley brings a bit of nuttiness to the smoke that well compliments the maple casing. It burns nice and smooth, very evenly. Doesn't burn hot or give tongue bite. Definitely worth checking out if you're into aros.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-05-19		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I bought this blend to smoke in the car when my girlfriend is with me. Even with the windows rolled down she still cant stand if i puff in the car regardless if it is an aromatic. wish i would have spent my money on something else.

that set aside im not going to give town topic a bad rating because im not a hug fan of aromatics. Town Topic's tin note smelled a lot like mcclelland's own holiday spirit from my memory of last winter. it seems to burn cool and has a pleasant sweet taste and of course a mapley pancakey room note. it didnt goop up the pipe and stayed lit for the most part.

for aromatic smokers i would recommend or possibly highly recomemend

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-03-05		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Aaaah! What a smoke !!! Truly amazing stuff,nothing more to say !

Nobody has rated this review yet.

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	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-10-22		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

I am a fan of anything maple and picked this up at the local tobacconist. Just about finished with the tin and I really love this blend. It has a great smell in the tin as well as in the pipe. I smoke my aromatics in an estate Ropp Cherrywood and not sure if it is the rustic nature of the pipe or what, but the maple from the Town Topic and that pipe go very well together. I will be purchasing more in the near future.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-09-03		Very Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Well lets see what we have here... a heavily cased black cavendish with a smattering of golds thrown in. In the lab, this blend tested negative for nicotine. Initially I was alarmed by the feel of the tobacco straight from the tin, but found that it did perform rather well under fire. For the next go, I left a bowlfull out on a plate to evaporate... after 24 hours it felt drier but still unexpectedly moist. I'm guessing that the "time-honored tradition" involves a humectant, very possibly PG -- this tobacco just has that kind of taste to me, although it did not coat my mouth. Speaking of taste, I did taste maple, albeit a rather chocolatey maple. Slow draws are a must to reach the full flavor potential. McClelland, I'm sorry but overall I just wasn't real impressed. But I will give this blend props for never gurgling, pooping in my pipe, or stinging my mouth no matter how I smoked it. Ho-hum.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-06-11		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This is my favorite "full" or "sweet" aromatic; my wife enjoys the room note entirely. There is nothing better than lighting up a bowl during a sunny day in the fall. I enjoy all of the premium aromatics, but Town Topic stands alone. Burns moist, and think about giving it some dry time before you light up. Maybe 30-60 minutes without the lid. Overall, if you like aromatics from time to time, this should be something you will enjoy.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-06-11		Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Very nice flavour of maple syrup. A little moist in the tin but burns ok. Seems to have hardly any nicotine in it, but still pretty awesome. Smells good enough to eat, and the wife likes the room note. Buy more.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-11-24		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is the second McClelland aromatic I have tasted after Tastemaster. I can say that the casing here is not as overpowering and probably because of my inclination towards maple flavoring rather than caramelly-chocolate smell, my vote goes to Town Topic.

No bite, slight disposition to overheat, other than that a pleasant room note and it is low on nicotine.

One interesting note, I could actually taste the maple flavoring when smoking after having a small bite form my favourite pistachio chocolate. Try that with plain milk chocolate and you could get a similar effect.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

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	partagas83 (2)	2010-11-21		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Not so bad, not so good... I was disapointed by this tobacco. After a very good surprise with ''Mellow Mack'' from McClelland, i tryed ''town topic'' and will not buy it again.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-05-19		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is a great premium aromatic tobacco! I will first say that I am not a fan of McClelland tobacco's due to their ketchup smell, mostly because I hate ketchup. However this stuff smells like morning panckakes soaked in maple syrup. So if your not a fan of sweet tobacco's then this is probably not for you. However if you are seaching for a classic air cured Black Cavendish that will please the room this is a great choice. It's quite wet out of the tin, so some drying is recommended. Town Topic has very little tongue bite and, is a very light smoke that even the wife will enjoy!

Nobody has rated this review yet.

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	Dov of the Galilee (32)	2010-04-15		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

Really smooth and enjoyable. I especially like the fact that others who share my life like the smell, that's a tall order!

Nobody has rated this review yet.

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	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-03-21		Mild	Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

I liked this aromatic. I've acquired several tins of McClell aromatics and none of them have the trademark vinegar smell. It seems McC only does the vinegar (ascetic acid) preservative on their non aromatic blends. The tin smells wonderful. I left some out to dry for 5 hours. 2 matches and that was it. The burning smoke does not overwhelm with the maple, just a light essence. Lots of smoke.

I had smoked McBaren Scottish mixture and McBaren Gold of Denmark yesterday and this McClelland Town Topic easily beats both of those aromatics in smell and taste.

McClelland has a wide product line, and I don't know why I am so surprised they can do an aromatic, and without the vinegar. I'm sure I'll be smoking more of this.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-02-26		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Nice sweet taste, and extremely pleasant room aroma. Burns extremely easy. Easily my favorite aromatic by far

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-12-09		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

You're in for a treat with this one. Great maple flavor, room note that will gather friends and neighbors. Everybody wins here. The tin claims that it's destined to be the talk of the town--I live in a small town where nobody knows each other anymore and everyone spends too much time at the big box stores, so it's hard to imagine anything being the talk of the town around here, but let's just assume (for argument's sake) that there was a talk of the town--this would most definitely be it (and rightly so). If you like aromatics, you are sure to like this mixture. And if you like maple, you are in for a really special smoke. Upon opening the tin I was greeted with tasty aroma and the tobacco was quite sightly. It looked anxious to get into my pipe. But it's the taste and aroma that keeps me coming back for more, and the smoke dissipates from the room quickly, which is a bonus in my book. Forget the hearty breakfast of pancakes for me; I'll just have a bowlful of Town Topic.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-12-08		Mild to Medium	Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

I state with prejudice that I love MAPLE anything! With that being said, I 'll try not to be too subjective :) ! I cannot understand how McClelland can produce such a lousy maple mixture like Townsman Cavendish Blue and then simultaneously create this masterpiece called Town Topic. ???? This actually, in my opinion, surpasses P&W's Vermont Maple Cavendish. It is undeniably, unmistakably maple in the tin aroma. At First light I tasted a wonderful sweet and creamy maple flavor. This remained throughout the entire smoke. No goop or wetness in this mix at all. VERY NATURAL maple flavor. In truth it rivals at the least and surpasses at best PIPEWORKS Maple. I have to keep reiterating that point ,as I consider that blend to be the finest of this flavor palate on the market. The cut is like Best of Show, Taste Master, and Easy Street.It is Chunky and predominantly black cavendish. Very easy to keep lit and very sweet and delicious. A solid 4 stars for maple fans and 3 stars for all Aromatic fans! Try this if the opportunity presents itself.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-10-28		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I like this mixture. I am a big fan of McClelland blends because I have found their name's match the tobacco nicely. This one is no exception.

Upon opening the tin, you are greeted with a nice maple style aroma that reminds me of pancakes after a nice morning of duck hunting on the lake. This blend goes well with a coffee in the morning or as an after dinner smoke. My friends constantly comment on the very pleasing aroma this one gives off as it burns.

The mixture is a bit moist due to the flavoring process and I have found it helps to dry it out a bit after packing the pipe. The clean up after is not so bad and it leaves a nice layer behind in the pipe. Smoke this one slowly to enjoy the flavors and to keep the taste nice.....smoke it too hot and it tastes a bit wrong.

This is my camp blend. I take this to the lake with me during hunting season because of the consistency of good smoke and the fine aroma.

Happy lighting!

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-09-23		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This blend I found not to be overbearingly sweet. Just enough to give a little hint sweetness and not taste of pure sugar. The room note is nice, and has a pleasant hint of maple. No bite what so ever in the several bowls that I've had. No glob of wet mess in the bottom of the bowl, either. If you're looking for an aromatic that's not just candied tobacco, this one is worth trying.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Nick (74)	2009-07-08		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Smooth, mild and softly sweet. Not a bite in the bowl. Unmistakable Maple aroma. Smoked clean and dry to the bottom of the bowl. In my mind, a true benchmark for mild aromatics. Are we sure that Carol at P&W did'nt create this ?

This blend delivers what the tin claims. It always shocks me when I read a review that is critical of a blend for delivering what the tin note says it will deliver. To me, if a blend delivers what the tin says, well hell, thats 4 stars! Nuff said.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2008-11-23		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

I'm not real crazy about aromatics. Especially sweet syrupy ones. But for some reason I sometimes crave the Maple! When I do Town Topic cures my craving. Its a well burning cool sweet Maple aromatic, what you would expect from McClelland. Non smokers love it too! However; if you smoke a bowl in the evening, come morning you will be craving pancakes and maple syrup. And your room will smell of the maple. In a nice way.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-12-19		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Amazing smell in the room, soft in the palate. Very liquid when you open it. It needs a procedure of drying, for a few hours. Very pleasant, it has the flavor of tobacco without being covered from maple. Maple that perfumes it, is very discreet. Cavendish, Black Cavendish, Virginia, all of them very nicely smashed in heavy snowflakes. Although I filled in the first bowl ? so, liquid enough, it didn?t warm up the bowl. I don?t know whether it would make me sick, smoking it continuously, like a baklava full of syrup. It will get his place of my all day tobacco. Perfect combination with Sir Walter Raleigh or Carter Hall

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LondoMollari (11)	2007-03-04		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Much better than the two stars I have handed out, so it earns a three. The tin aroma defiantly says maple to me, just like the label mentions. When smoking it, however, the maple isn't so pronounced as you would expect. Without being an expert at describing the flavor in depth, I would say it was ok but lacked pizzazz.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2006-09-02		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

I'm not a big fan of aromatics, but I like Town Topic. Some aromatics are very very sweet and sugary. Town Topic is not sticky or cloying at all. The flavor is tobacco that tastes like maple, rather than maple syrup that happens to be smokeable. I give it three stars because it strikes a nice balance between tobacco and flavoring. I don't give it four because I'm just not an aromatic fan, not because it's inherently flawed or incomplete.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2005-10-16		Mild	Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

This is a very mild basic aromatic tobacco. upon popping the top you will be greeted with a maple/pancake aroma and a moist tobacco. My tobacco was tinned in August 05 and I had some trouble getting/keeping it going. Considering the moisture level of the product going into the pipe the results were fairly dry with no real nasty cleaners resulting from smoking. The taste of the tobacco was flat at best with a much more pronouced aroma than taste. Typical aromatic I guess. Considering the townsman line at 16.00 for 8 oz this tinned version is overpriced. I paid 10.00 for a 50 gram tin at the local B&M

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2005-04-12		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

As with Tastemaster, this another one of my favorite aromatics... and for the same basic reasons. However instead of chocolate/honey you get a hint of maple. As I noted with Tastemaster, there is nothing earthshattering about this blend however it's room note is sure to please and make you the town topic.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2004-10-22		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

10-22-2004 The quest continues!

Appearance and Tin Aroma: Typical dark to light brown cavendish in a medium ribbon cut. Smells wonderful, pancakes anyone?

Packing and Lighting: Despite the casing, packed and lit well, just a couple of relights and then burned to the bottom with no fuss.

Initial Flavor: Well, this is where it lost me. The cavendish in this blend tasted green to me, could not shake it! The maple cannot be tasted too well, but it sure could be smelled by those around you.

Midbowl: Same, the cavendish still tasted green.

Bottom of bowl: Some improvement in the taste of the cavendish, the bottom of the bowl was cosiderably dry for an aromatic.

Overall: When I look for an aromatic, I prefer one that is sweet (like P&S Premium or Peterson's Luxury). This one was not sweet in spite of the maple casing. The cavendish in this blend did not go well with my tastebuds. Also, this blend was a little hot on the tongue. Pros: the room note was wonderful and the odor on your person and clothes after smoking was pleasing, even to my family.

Rating: 2 out of 5 points

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MozzMann (33)	2004-09-30		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Town Topic will be the the talk of the town! I just tried my sample of this Monday nite, and It was a very nice smoke. Its mild and burns cool and smooth. Has a nice roomnote and has a nice maple aroma. Town Topic will be a staple in my stock. Peace! M.O.Z.Z.M.A.N.N

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